


Portrait of the Artist

by RositaLG



Category: Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries
Genre: Backstory, F/M, Passive Aggressive Jailings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-10
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-26 05:36:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,315
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12052410
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RositaLG/pseuds/RositaLG
Summary: When Phryne finally tests Jack's patience to its limit, he throws her in a cell to think about what she's done. She relies on an old friend to bail her out and a bit of insight into how her past affects her present is unveiled. My submission for the Rumors and Gossip trope of September 2017.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Dorothy Parker is one of my absolute favorites. It was only a matter of time before I found a way to sneak her into this fandom. Also, if anyone wants to find a way to use her poem Superfluous advice as a prompt for this month's challenge, I'd love to read it. “Should they whisper false of you, never trouble to deny. Should the words they say be true, weep and storm and swear they lie!" 
> 
> Happy reading!

_ Oh, lead me to a quiet cell _

_ Where never footfall rankles, _

_ And bar the window passing well, _

_ And gyve my wrists and ankles. _

 

_ Oh, wrap my eyes with linen fair, _

_ With hempen cord go bind me, _

_ And, of your mercy, leave me there, _

_ Nor tell them where to find me. _

 

_ Oh, lock the portal as you go, _

_ And see its bolts be double.... _

_ Come back in half an hour or so, _

_ And I will be in trouble. _

 

_ "Portrait of the artist” by Dorothy Parker  _

 

 

Phryne stared Jack down with the intensity of a thousand suns, her rage boiling as he brought another woman to join her in the cell. 

Jack looked as blase as ever by her plight.

“Watch out for this one, Else. She’s trouble.” Jack warned the drunken woman.

“Don’t have to worry about me none, love. Seen it all.” Elsie waved off his concern. 

Jack winked at the woman as he left them alone, never giving Phryne the time of day. 

“Haven’t seen you before though.” Elsie reconsidered her statement as she sat across from Phryne. “Elsie Tizzard.” 

Phryne felt her heart leap into her throat at the name. Matthew Tizzard had escaped with Murdoch Foyle before going back to prison. 

“Phryne Fisher.” She held out her hand and Elsie shook it limply.  

“Don’t look like a drunkard to me, Phryne Fisher. What’d you do?” 

“I was caught in an illegal night club after curfew with a clutch full of opium.” She confessed with a sigh. 

Elsie looked impressed.

“I’m totally innocent.” She defended. “I was working a case. I’m a private detective,” she explained, “but a new, young constable, who doesn't understand how helpful I am, arrested me on drug charges. And Jack is letting the boy keep me here as revenge for my meddling, among other things.” Phryne was smart enough to know that the wounds from their recent argument over Gertie’s case were still playing a role as well. Jack had seemed to make nice, but things had definitely changed between them. 

“Revenge? Jack Robinson?!” Elsie shook her head emphatically. “Nah. He’s got a heart of gold.” 

“You’d be surprised.” Phryne countered, glaring down the hall once more. “A raid, of all the things!” She tsked her luck. “I foolishly stayed behind, because everyone in the Victoria Police Force knows that I’m not a threat. Well, that I’d never use my skills against them at least.” She corrected herself. “It’s not my fault that I am better at my job and RAIDED THE DRUG DEN FIRST.” She shouted down the hall at her captors. 

Elsie, who had drifted off during Phryne’s rant, woke with a start.

“Don’t worry, love.” She sniffed. “He’ll come round. Always does the right thing, my Jack.” Elsie settled back into the stone corner as if it were her own bed and fell back to sleep instantly. 

Phryne folded her arms once more and continued her pacing. 

At the sound of foreign footsteps coming down the hall, she went to the bars eagerly. The young constable who arrested her appeared in her line of sight. He looked positively terrified of her. Then again, he couldn’t be much older than Jane.  

“Um, the Inspector is ready to see you now.” 

Phryne rolled her eyes. 

“Wonderful.” 

He opened the door and escorted her up the steps and down the hall.  

“Right here, Miss.” The constable led.

Phryne had walked past the interview room, her feet heading towards Jack’s office out of habit.

The constable opened the door and she saw that Jack was already in the room.

“Ah, Miss Fisher. Please, have a seat.” He instructed as he dismissed the constable with a nod.

“Inspector.” She played her role and did as she was told. 

“So,” he began, “care to explain your side of the story or shall we start with the evidence against you?” 

“You know my side of the story. I was working a case.”

“With no authority to do so.” Jack reminded her.

“Lin got me into the room.”

“A suspected smuggler and an ex-lover, if I’m not mistaken.” He added.

“I pocketed the evidence.” She maintained. 

“Stole the drugs out from under the criminals.” Jack accused.

“And I was about to leave when your lot came crashing through the door like a herd of elephants. Not that it mattered, with their grace, the room was empty before they could even get the door kicked in.” 

“Not entirely empty.” He reminded her, holding up her clutch.

“Well, I had nothing to hide.” Phryne defended. “They can’t arrest me for beating them to the scene.” 

“No, but they can arrest you for standing alone in the middle of an opium den with half a kilo of it in your purse.” 

“Jack…” She scolded his lack of cooperation. “What is it going to take to make this go away.” 

“My guess? An exceptional solicitor and a lot of time and money.” He looked down at his notepad. 

“Don’t be like that.” She pouted. “It’s very unbecoming.” 

“And what would you have me do, Miss Fisher?” He inquired. “I can’t protect you when I’m not consulted ahead of time. You weren't there on police business.” 

“Well, if you don't have the clout to clear this up, I certainly do. I’d like to make a phone call.” She hated going over his head in his own kingdom but she would do what was required. 

“And who will you be calling?”

“Paul.”

He waited for more.

“Commissioner Lewis.” She restated.

Jack rolled his eyes at her forwardness.

“Straight to the top then. I should have known you’d have more than one officer under your thumb.” Jack stated, sounding….hurt? 

Phryne analyzed his ever-expressive eyes. Did he think he was merely a pawn to her, used solely to avoid trouble and get inside information? Even after everything they’d been through together?

“Best of luck, Miss Fisher.” Jack said as he stood up.

“Jack, wait.” She stopped him, not actually knowing what she would say next. 

He didn’t give her a chance to flounder. He opened the door. 

“Constable Evans will escort you to the phone.” He instructed, looking at Evans only before walking straight into his office and slamming the door.

OOOOO 

When Constable Evans returned again, it was with the keys to her cell. 

“You’re free to go, Miss Fisher.”

She stood up and glanced down the hall. 

“Is the Inspector still here?” She asked as she glanced down at her watch. 

“He’s left for the evening.” 

Phryne nodded, assuming as much. 

“I’ll come back tomorrow morning.” She decided, wanting to fix whatever she had done to offend him as soon as possible.

Constable Evans shook his head and tried to hide a smile.

“What is it?” She asked bluntly. 

“I haven’t been doing this long, but I suspect you’re the first person to get released from jail and demand to come back tomorrow to thank the man who put you there.”

“Constable Evans, you and I will cross paths many times before you leave this station. You should know that I tend to stand out from the crowd.” 

“I believe that, Miss.” He smiled certainly. 

“Good night.” 

He nodded as she passed. 

OOOOO

Phryne walked up the steps to Wardlow quietly, unsure who might still be up, despite the lights being on. But as soon as she opened the door, she was rushed by the entire household. 

“Miss!” Dot and Jane ran to greet her. “We were so worried.”

“No need. I was with Jack.” She said as she removed her hat.

“He called and told us what happened.” Jane snitched.

“So you knew I was perfectly safe.” Phryne smoothed over her white lie along with her hair. “It was all a misunderstanding. Now what did I miss for dinner?”

“Mr. Butler made lamb.”

“Perfect.”

“I’ll fix you a plate, Miss.” Dot flew to the kitchen.

Phryne turned her full attention to her ward. 

“Were you terribly worried?” Phryne asked, touching her shoulder.

“No. But he’s never left you in so long.” Jane bit her lip. 

“I had to go over his head this time, something I rather hate doing.” She sighed.

“He was upset?”

“I think so.”

“He’ll come around though, won't he? You haven't had another falling out?”

“I haven’t.” Phryne made no promises about his side.

Jane looked more concerned with the pair fighting than with Phryne being arrested. 

Funnily enough, Phryne felt quite the same way. 


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Jack found himself nearly colliding with Elsie Tizzard on the way to his office.

“How can I help you, Else?” He asked, distracted, but knowing she was coming to see him specifically.

“That woman in my cell, Phryne Fisher?” She was eyeing him with a clarity Jack felt highly uncomfortable with, given the fact that she was usually drunk and stumbling when they crossed paths. He looked around, grateful no one was within hearing distance and ushered her into his office and shut the door.

“I can’t talk about another case with you.” Jack said as he hung up his coat and hat.

“I’m not talking about any old case, I’m talking about you. She was properly angry with you, Jack Robinson, and not an Inspector. You must have had some kind of fight. A lady like that doesn’t anger easily.”

“You’d be surprised.” Jack muttered, unintentionally copying Phryne’s phrase from the night before.  

“Would I?” Elsie suggested with a sly smile that had him concerned all over again.

“I’m sorry, but what did she tell you that has you so curious?” He looked at her pointedly.

“She said you were out for revenge.” She tested.

“I wasn’t. She broke the law.” He defended.

“And yet, she was still released by morning?” Elsie raised an eyebrow at his answer.

“She has friends in extremely high places.” Jack explained simply.

“Well, I stuck up for you. I told her that you always did what you thought was best.” She said loyally just as a knock came on the door.

“Phone call just came for you, sir. They need you in the Commissioner’s Office immediately.” Collins said, his eyes wide as saucers.

Jack heaved a heavy sigh. He’d predicted this day would come eventually.

“Sorry, Else. I’m going to have to continue denying this topic at a later date.” He stood up and reached for his coat and hat.

“I’d like to see you deny that woman anything.” The knowing glint, and startling truth, in her eyes was frightening.

It was going to be a truly miserable day, Jack decided. 

OOOOO

Being summoned to Russell Street first thing in the morning was not the way Jack wanted to escape Elsie’s barrage of questioning, but at least he understood why this meeting was taking place, or at least, he could hazard a guess. He was halfway up the steps, mentally preparing for every potential argument for and against Phryne Fisher, when a waft of french perfume interrupted his thoughts.

“Jack! How fortuitous. I was on my way to visit you next.”

He turned to his right and found a meticulously fashioned Phryne Fisher. She had prepared for battle in her own way.

“I had barely hung up my coat this morning before I was summoned to Commissioner Lewis’s office.” Jack’s accusation lay dormant in his words, but she knew him well enough to hear his underlying cranky tone.

“Don’t look at me, I’m sure I have no idea why we are both here.” She shrugged far too innocently as he held the door open for her. “But Jack, I should warn you, I should be the one to handle the Com…”

“Phryne!”

Jack watched the usually stoic Commissioner light up as if he had found his long lost daughter.

“Commissioner Lewis.” She turned around and smiled widely.

“No, none of that. Paul is perfectly acceptable. Now is not the time to start using formalities.”

“I’m trying to be on my best behavior for the Inspector.” She nodded towards Jack before kissing the man on the cheek. “He arrested me yesterday, you know.”

“I heard a rumor. How are you, Robinson?” He reached out and shook his hand.

“Very well, thank you.” He replied.

“Please step into my office, both of you.” He smiled kindly as a secretary followed them into the office. “Tea?” He asked the pair.

“The usual, please.” Phryne smiled and the Commissioner’s heart visibly melted a little.

“Strong and black.” The Commissioner gave the secretary her order, who proceeded to also beam with an understanding that Jack didn't have.

“I’ll have the same.” Jack replied, unable to think about ordering tea when his brain was scrambling to process the scene before him.

Phryne must have recognized his confusion on his features because as the secretary began to pour the tea, she poked his shoulder gently and gave him an apologetic look. He silently asked what the hell he had stumbled into but she didn’t have time to silently respond before the Commissioner turned around. 

“There you go, my dear.” He served Phryne’s tea himself as the secretary handed Jack his tea.

“Thank you.” Jack nodded his thanks respectfully and the secretary blushed slightly but held her gaze with him, her eyes offering him more than just tea.

And with that, Jack officially gave up trying to figure out the day.

“So, you two are probably wondering why I called you in here.”

“No.” Phryne smiled.

“Yes.” Jack said seriously.

They shared a look at their synchronized, but disparate responses.

“And there's my reason.” The Commissioner got down to business. “Now Phryne, when you started this venture, you assured me it wouldn’t cause any trouble. But you’ve been solving cases all over town, especially ones that were meant to be in Jack’s jurisdiction. Last night seemed to be an inevitability.”

“Paul, I…”

“Your competition with the force, should it continue, needs to be assessed, Phryne. For everyone’s sake, including mine.” He rolled his eyes. “Then again, I suppose if anyone has a complaint to file with how the Victoria police handles their business…” He sighed a sigh of resignation that Jack knew all too well.

“I’ve no complaints, Paul. Not with you. Not ever.” Phryne denied so earnestly, it stole Jack’s attention. That wasn't charm at work; she was serious. 

“Mm.” The Commissioner didn’t seem to believe her. “And Jack, how has Miss Fisher’s business affected City South?”

“Well, her actions are rather unorthodox, and they certainly keep the station’s gossip mill fed,” he felt her beam with pride beside him and he fought the urge to roll his eyes, “but her lack of a badge has been beneficial to us. People who can’t or won’t speak to us officially will often speak to her. Her background lends itself well to going undercover because she is well-connected to both the higher and lower classes of Melbourne. She can change her persona in the blink of an eye, depending on the need. But most of all, she has that useful feminine touch that we quite lack at City South.”

“A skill I’m happy to use if it serves the common good.” She assured the room confidently.

“Mm, yes, I heard rumors of an undercover mission at the Imperial Club that I’m going to assume were salacious gossip for the sake of my heart.” He gave Phryne a stern look and she shrank a bit in her chair.

Jack could not have been more interested in the power struggle that was occurring between the two most dominant forces in his life.

“Phryne, I’m happy to have you assist Jack in his investigations _when he asks_ ,” he emphasized, “but some boundaries need to be set, so I’m giving him full discretion on how and when you are allowed to interrupt his day. You know the rules.” He informed the woman at his side. “And Inspector, if you think that Phryne here can be of assistance, I see no reason why she shouldn’t be allowed to help out, but if you feel her presence will be a hindrance to your case, like last night, then you have my full permission to lock her up again until your case is solved. Is that clear?”

“Yes sir.” They both said like school children.

“And I don’t want to hear from either of you, or the press,” he added, “if this goes sour. You’re grown adults. Settle it amongst yourselves.”

They nodded again.

“Good.”  He silently dismissed them.

Jack stood up to take his leave, ever a soldier when it came to understanding unspoken commands.

“Will you give us a moment?” Phryne asked Jack quietly and he nodded.

“I’ll be right outside.” He said simply.

As he waited, he contemplated.

He wasn’t sure how Phryne and the Commissioner knew each other, but it was clearly a strong bond. That was probably the reason she had gotten by with so much since she had returned to Melbourne. Perhaps he was an old family friend, although Lewis didn’t seem the type to mingle with the rich, despite being powerful in the city, and Phryne’s parents certainly hadn't been either before they left for England.

When she reappeared again, Phryne was trying too hard not to look sad but one look at his clearly puzzled face and the sadness dissipated. 

“I believe I owe you a long conversation, Jack.” She smiled knowingly. “Can I interest you in breakfast around the corner?” She offered. “And before you protest about missing work, I’ve already cleared it with your boss.” She fended off any arguments before he could make them.  

“Straight to the top?” He tried the phrase again, this time with no resentment behind it.

“Exactly.” She smiled broadly at being forgiven by him.

“Then I suppose it’s your move, Miss Fisher.” He relented.

She slid her arm in his, their present location be damned, and led him off to breakfast.

OOOOO

“So, _Paul_.” Jack began far too nonchalantly as he glanced over his menu.

“Yes. Paul.” Phryne smiled softly. “He was the detective assigned to my sister’s case.”

Jack put down his menu in interest.

“He interviewed me about half a dozen times. I held myself together remarkably well up until that last time, but by then, I’d given in to the knowledge that the worst had probably occurred and it was all my fault.”

“Phryne.” Jack muttered and shook his head, hating it when she blamed herself for the case. She continued on as if she hadn’t heard it.

“I think it was the first time he realized that I was just a child. Even then, I had mastered the art of sounding far more mature than I was. I’d learned how to be a caretaker early.” She grimaced at the memory of what a disaster her parents had been after Janey’s disappearance. Her father horribly drunk, her mother in bed, helpless with grief.

Phryne fell quiet, lost in the memories for a long moment, but when she looked up again, Jack was patiently waiting for her to ride them out. Her heartstrings tugged at his resolute patience.

"What can I get you today?" The waitress asked and Phryne nearly jumped. 

"The daily special and a coffee." Jack ordered and Phryne had a hunch he didn't even know what it was. 

"Just tea for me, thank you." She smiled at the waitress. 

“Strong and black?” Jack got them back on track like the skillful interrogator that he was. 

“Yes.” She smiled at his inability to deny his true nature. “Paul used to give me his when I would visit him and the order stuck." She explained. "Speaking of which, where were we?" 

"You were crying." Jack assisted.

"Right. Well, as Paul sat there, waiting for me to stop, he promised me that the police would find whoever took Janey, but that they couldn’t do it without my help.”

“He wasn’t wrong.” Jack reminded her kindly, but Phryne couldn’t think about it that way. She’d done the bare minimum to make amends: recovered her sister’s bones. The entire disappearance and murder were still on her conscience like the world on Atlas’s shoulders; no amount of forgiveness would ever lift the burden.

“He started to treat me like a fellow detective after that. I’d go visit him to get updates on the case and he always made five minutes in his day to give me a briefing or ask me for my latest notes. I’d write down everything I could remember about that day.” That was the moment when Phryne had started to watch everyone around her. She’d make mental descriptions of age, physical descriptions, clothing, direction they were heading, car they were driving, anything that might trigger a memory from that day. It was a habit that she never fully gave up.

“It wasn’t long after that when Myrtle Hill’s case put Foyle away and we moved to England. But Paul never forgave himself for not finding her for me.”

“Some cases stay with you.” Jack spoke from experience.

“He came to visit Wardlow, after we found her.” She stated, unable to look at Jack. She had never told him that as she'd been unsure how much Jack was willing to mix his true business with their side partnership. “I took one look at him and started sobbing as hard as that little girl sitting across from him at the interrogation table.” She confessed, her eyes tearing up even now.

Jack reached into his jacket and handed her his handkerchief.

“He was the only person in Melbourne who had been there from the beginning and understood. Seeing him made it real.” She explained.

Jack nodded in understanding.

“You’re the same, you and Paul. You both took me under your wing despite yourselves. I’m sure he doesn’t half pity you for having to put up with me the way you do.”

At this, the sad mood shifted and Jack fell into a new, icier silence as his anger from the night before started coming back to him.

Phryne, excellent driver that she was, did the only thing she could think to do: she turned into the spin.

“Go on, then.” She allowed.

“What the hell were you thinking, Phryne?” Jack asked bluntly, storming through the door she'd opened. “You could have been killed and I wouldn’t have had the slightest…” He paused, not wanting to reveal his feelings too much, especially after his most recent outburst had nearly ended their partnership. “After all this time, I still don’t understand why you refuse to trust me.” He accused.

“What? I trust you!” She exclaimed.

“No. You don’t.” Jack shook his head angrily. “If you did, you wouldn't have put that stocking in my exhaust, and you certainly wouldn't have been reckless enough to go undercover without telling me. You never pause your escapades long enough to realize that I am not the person you need to be fighting.” People were beginning to stare so he lowered his voice a bit before continuing. “I have always tried to help you, no matter the situation. If I’ve ever told you no, it was to save you from doing something life-threatening, and even then…” He stopped again, clearly upset that he was incapable of keeping his mouth shut today.

“I was trying to protect you.” She defended herself. “I didn’t want you to be complicit in something that might end up hurting…”

“Phryne,” he cut her off with a wave of his hand, “I know the laws and the loopholes of this town better than anyone else in it. Do you honestly believe that you are so charming that I would let you destroy my career?” He asked her.

She leveled him with a gaze.

“I don’t know what you’ll do anymore, Jack.” She bit back, reminding him that he was the one who’d changed the dynamic between them.

Jack bit back a groan in frustration, not wanting to fight in public. He took a second to compose himself and tried again.

“It comes down to this,” he pushed the personal aside, but his voice was still dark, “if you want to continue working with me, I have to know that you are on my side. I can’t be out in the field thinking about what you may or may not be doing to sabotage my case. We need to be on the same page. That’s a non-negotiable.”

“That’s fair.” She agreed, unable to argue. If anything happened to him, Janey's death wouldn't be the only burden she'd be forced to carry.

“That’s the offer." He summed up. "Be on my side or don’t, but I won’t let you actively work against me anymore.” He fell silent, having spoken his piece. It was now her turn to respond.

If he’d been brave enough to state his demands; the least she could do was answer them honestly.

“First of all, I do trust you, Jack, I do.” She reached across the table to touch his forearm briefly in assurance. “But trusting people, or even just having people in my life that I can trust, is a rather new experience for me.” She admitted. “And I know that I’m not particularly good at it, and that getting better is going to require a lot of patience on their part,” she swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed on, “but I’m willing to work on it. I just might need... a bit more time, to learn how to let those people in.” She spoke sincerely but carefully, wanting him to understand the layers beneath her statement.  

She looked up through her eyelashes, wondering if he understood what she was asking of him.

The intensity of his gaze burned holes through her but she kept his eye, waiting for him to speak.

“And when that day comes?” He asked at last, his voice like thunder.

“I suspect you’ll be the first to know.” She promised.


End file.
